Sunday Suppers: Mom’s Fool-Proof Pot Roast Dinner

Mom and Eric got me on the pot roast kick last week. First, Eric texted me about how good his turned out. Then Mom told me about the great deal she got on her own roast. I did not get a great deal, but I couldn’t get pot roast out of my head so I had to have it.

This one pot meal is one of those I remember eating at least once a month in the winter growing up. Pot roast is one of those “old-fashioned” meals which get a bad rep. We hear pot roast and we think either a) dry and overly salty or b) bad TV dinner. This pot roast is a showstopper, though. As I’ve grown up, I now realized why Mom loved this one- virtually no prep work and pretty much no dishes if you use your foil wisely.

This is also the juiciest pot roast I have ever seen, and when you see the recipe, you won’t think it is going to be so juicy. The trick is the aluminum foil you wrap around the roast- if you seal tightly, and cook it low and slow, you end up with two as much liquid as you start with. I served mine with potatoes I threw on a baking tray in the oven during the last hour of cooking. Mashed potatoes or noodles would be another excellent side as well.

Pot Roast in Foil

Ingredients:

1, 2-3lb boneless chuck roast

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 packet of dry onion soup mix

Baby carrots

Sliced mushrooms

Potatoes or noodles for serving

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Prep a large piece of foil (think 2 feet or so) and place inside a baking sheet so that there’s an even amount of extra hanging over on each side.

Place the pot roast in the foil.

In a separate dish, mix the soup and onion soup mix together well. Pour over the top of the roast.

Top the roast with carrots and mushrooms. Bring the foil together and seal tightly. Leave a little space for air inside the packet.

Place in the oven for 4 hours. Don’t touch. Don’t peak until time is up.

When ready to serve, open the packet, shred meat if needed, and serve!